Sinn Féin - On Your Side

Sinn Féin TD David Cullinane has called on the government to
acknowledge the impact of the housing crisis on people’s mental health and to
take serious measures to address it. Speaking in response to the findings from
the suicide prevention charity Console that an increasing number of people in
mortgage and rent arrears are experiencing anxiety, depression, and suicidal
thoughts, Deputy Cullinane said:

“The housing crisis is having a detrimental impact on
people’s sense of self and on their overall wellbeing.

“A home or a place to call home is basic requirement for
human existence. Expecting people to live in very unstable environments and in
fear that they may not have a roof over their head is bad public policy.

“In any modern society, the availability of housing for
everyone is a basic requirement. The failure of the state to actively intervene
to ensure this is the case is just not acceptable.

“Fine Gael and Labour were in power for the past five years,
and under their watch, the housing crisis worsened with the result that we now
have an emergency on our hands. While the previous Fianna Fáil administration took
negative decisions that began a downward trend in social housing builds, the
policies pursued by the Fine Gael led coalition worsened an already bad
situation.

“In light of this, is it any wonder that people are at their
wits-end and unable to sleep at night and having panic attacks.

“We should be concerned about the impact the crisis is
having on people’s mental health and on the well-being of children who have
lost their homes, and are living in hotels.

“Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael must take responsibility for this
fiasco. The onus is on them to stop dallying about and to form a government and
deal with this issue as a matter of national priority.